A New Approach for 2020

Michael W. Jackson

January 9, 2020

It is the beginning of a new year and as is typical, many will be making New Year resolutions that will define the pathway for change in their lives.  Resolutions are rarely seen through to the end of the year and another year is lost in implementing the change we want to see.  Year after year time goes by we lose a part of our lives and settle into a mode of mediocrity.  New Year resolutions are almost always never maintained so what is the point of making them?  Often some give, believing they do not have the mental fortitude to see a goal to its conclusion.

There are several reasons why we are unable to fulfill new year resolutions.  First of all, new year resolutions are simply that, “new.”  To implement a new year resolution, we may have to implement behaviors that are new to us.  Because these behaviors are not on auto-pilot, we have some resistance to taking the necessary action.  We need to be motivated and sometimes the motivation is not strong enough to get us to the action step.  In the beginning, we may need self-discipline or a personal coach or trainer to push us a little.

Another reason we do not complete new year resolutions is that we forget them.  We formulate an idea to change our lives for the year but we do not write it down and review it regularly.  Now you may believe that if you know what your goal is for the year, why is it necessary to write it down and review it?  I already know it.  The problem is you run the routine of your conventional life and forget about your goal for the year so the necessary action or behavioral changes are not implemented.  The routine of our conventional lives is well within our comfort zone and it is not our typical nature to push ourselves outside of this area.

So how do we break the cycle and move forward to becoming the people we would like to be?  If we are not easily going to move outside of what is “normal” and convenient for us, we need an alternative approach.   If it somewhat difficult to move outside of our comfort zones to take the action we need to take, perhaps we can move the “right actions” into our comfort zones.  We can implement this by a process of incremental improvement.  Set your goal, make your resolution for the year and decide what action you need to take.  Take that action in a small way, one day at a time improving a little with each day.  For example, you may not want to exercise but could you bring yourself to do one push up and improve on that on daily?  Sure.  One day you do one push up and you have completed your exercise for that day.  Now you may think that one repetition is not going to contribute to your overall fitness.  However, not taking any action is also not going to improve your fitness.  To take a small, seemingly meaningless action in the direction of your goals and dreams takes so little of your time; it would be easy to incorporate this action into your routine.  Now as you continue this process of small action with daily improvement gradually it will become routine for you and you will gain momentum so that what started as a small action will be accelerating you faster and faster toward the destination of your goal.  Imagine how much greater our lives would be if we made daily self-improvement a habit.

How to Have the Best Life Possible

Michael W. Jackson

July 13, 2018

Humanity faces so many problems in our world today; is it conceivable that we could have the best possible life?  Here where I live in Los Angeles, homelessness is a problem.  On a global scale climate change as a result of human activity is damaging the delicate balance of the planet’s life support systems.  How do we get control of situations that seem to be taking us as a species in the wrong direction?  Research and science can enlighten us about the facts of any problem but it is only with appropriate action that anything will change for the better.

All of humanity wants to be better in some way.  We want to be smarter, richer, stronger or more of this or more of that.  This is fine; I believe it is healthy to strive and grow to become better versions of ourselves.  Yet sometimes we hurt others for personal gain.  Individuals do this, politicians do this and even governments and countries on our planet do this.  Why does the most “intelligent” species on the planet have such insane behavior?  For all that we want to better ourselves, our behaviors are often self-destructive.  It makes no sense.

We can have a better life and not only a better life, but the best life possible that works for everyone.  A place where everyone is a winner and no one gets left behind.  So where do we begin?  First of all, we have to stop the insanity and change our thinking.  Within humanity, we must purge our thinking of lines of division and segregation.  Therefore there are no Mexican people and Canadian people and Chinese people and white people and black people and rich people and homeless people.  There is only “one” people and this is humanity.  When we hurt others, we hurt ourselves.  When we help others, we help ourselves.  If you want to better yourself in a significant way, make your fellow man better in a way that meets his or her needs.  At my job where I work, there are people of different ethnicities from all over the world.  We are focused on the purpose of our responsibilities and do not even think about how we are different.  Everyone is treated with dignity and respect.  We need to upscale this kind of thinking and attitude to include all members of the human community.  If you want to be number one, be the world’s best lover of all people.

To have the best life possible we as human beings must reconnect with our source.  This source is GOD.  This is the way to have the absolute best of what is possible.  There are those who would argue that there are atheists who live very well, why is God necessary?  To have the best possible life, a deep relationship with God is absolutely essential.  To some this may seem scary because the ego wants to be in control and take credit for our success.  In my book, Success is Within You, I talk about the God man partnership.  When you embrace the God man partnership, your life is spiritual and human simultaneously and this is life at a higher level.  God is the all knowing Intelligence that permeates the entire universe.  There is nothing that is beyond the knowledge of God.  Allow your life to be a partnership with God and you can have confidence in knowing you are taking the best course for your life.  It does not matter who you are or what you do, with God anything can be done.  If you want to be a better mom, employ God as your partner.  If you want to be a better stock broker, employ God as your partner.  If you want to be a better “YOU”, employ God as your personal coach.  God will only guide you to what is best, not only for you, but for all concerned.  For GOD IS LOVE; it has no other nature than itself and love always gives you the best of everything.

Does Donald Trump Really Matter?

Michael W. Jackson

June 14, 2018

I am sure many would agree Donald Trump is the most controversial president in recent times.  Yet I have to ask the question, “Does Donald Trump have an impact on your life?”  I would agree our president has the ability to enact policies which have an effect on certain aspects of our lives but in terms of the big picture of your life, the answer is no.  If you believe the president of the United States determines the fate of your life, then sadly you have relinquished your power.  You have the power to determine what you are going to have, be or do in your life.  We are responsible for where we are today and if we desire to change where we are, this will be determined by choices we make.  Could it really be that simple?  What if you want to change your life for the better, but you do not have the resources?  I do not have enough money.  I do not have the skills.  I do not have the education.  These things might be true but the turning point comes when you make a choice for something different, something better.

You may be at a point where you need or want to change your life to a place that would give you more happiness and a sense of fulfillment but you do not know where or how to begin.  It could seem hopeless.  I am reminded of Jesus who was imminently going to be crucified.  Pontius Pilate believed he had the fate of Jesus in the palm of his hand.  Nevertheless, despite his pending death, Jesus set the record straight.  The only power Pontius Pilate has comes from God.  The death of Jesus was not the result of any power of Pilate; it was part of God’s master plan as a demonstration of His unfathomable LOVE for humanity.  Could there anything more hopeless than death?  If you feel hopeless and do not know how to jump start your life toward a better path, remember God.
The most important TRUTH in the universe is that God is source.  Nothing and no one has power over you.  All things begin and end with God.  Wherever you are in your life, God has not forgotten you for He knows all things.  Man wants to feel he is control of everything but this is not the case.  Man does not control the source.  Therefore, it is better to look at your life as a partnership between God, the source and provider, and yourself, the creativity and ingenuity that makes life better.  Yes, you are great for YOU are created in the image of God.  Your greatness is demonstrated when you use the power of your mind to best utilize the resources provided by God.

When it comes to your life, you always have choices as to what it will be.  No person, no government and no organization has power over you.  Choose to partner with God whose love is the greatest power in the universe.  You are a child of God and when God is for you, nothing can be against you.  Hold on to a better vision for your life and allow God to help you get there.

Impossible Failure

Michael W. Jackson

January 8, 2018

I encourage everyone to go for big dreams because it is only in striving at this level do you harness the best within yourself.  Yet this brings up an interesting question.  Does going for a really big dream increase the probability of failure?  I do not believe going for big dreams increases the chance for failure but this is because I choose to look at failure in a different way.  Typically when we think of failure, we see it in terms of falling short of a desire result.  There is a target or an objective and you did not quite meet this objective, so you call this a failure.  Whatever the target or objective was, it is not an endpoint.  This is not the finality of your life.  There is so much more.  You did not reach or achieve your objective because the requirements for attainment are incomplete.  Think of it like tipping the scales of a balance.  Easy stuff does not require much effort for you to lift.  Place a heavy weight on the other side and it takes considerably more effort to lift the load.  When you have a really big dream, the load, weight or challenge on the other side of the balance is enormous.  In fact, if you step on your side with all your weight, the load does not move.  Why?  The requirements needed to lift the load and attain your dream are incomplete.  It order to attain your dream, you only need to add more to your side.  It seems simple enough. IT IS NOT EASY.  The biggest dreams require time, hard work and undaunted persistence.  You are necessary to achieve your dreams but to have the biggest dreams of your life, you must become a different person.  You become a different person by choosing to be a better person.  Develop yourself to be the BEST you can be.  Become stronger, become smarter, become faster, become whatever is necessary.  Add to yourself constantly.  Never stop growing.  Be a lifelong learner.  Be obsessed with self-improvement and personal development so that over the long term of your life, you can meet any challenge you may face in your life.

Continue this process of personal growth and you will not fail at anything.  Failure will be impossible for you.  How can I be so sure?  What I am about to say is one of the most powerful concepts you could come to understand in your life.  Here goes…you will not fail at anything because the universe will not allow it.  Development of yourself entails more than physical strength and intellectual genius.  You must develop your mind and spirit to where you not only seek to understand the nature of the universe but also to have a relationship with it.  When you grasp the concept that what you experience in life is blessing you all the time then you are on the fast track of achieving your dreams without failure.  How can this be you wonder?  It is said Thomas Edison failed 10,000 times before perfecting the electric light bulb.  There were not 10,000 failures; there were 10,000 attempts before getting it right.  Each time the experiment did not work, Mr. Edison made an adjustment and tried again.  Whatever you want to be whatever you want to do, you are not going to wake up one morning and “be there.”  The big dreams of your life are real and are processes that take time but during that time, you must put in whatever  life requires of you.  When you understand that getting your dream is a process and not an endpoint, it is easier to manage the lessons “life” teaches you along the way.  You will experience setbacks, just like an ice skater falls several times before perfecting a jump.  You get up and try again.  Realize something here.  When you fall down or experience a setback, there is something you need to learn from this.  Be receptive and willing to learn from your experiences positive and negative.  If something did not turn out the way you expected, ask yourself.  What can I learn from this?  Learn from what does not work as well as what does.  Make adjustments for actions which do not produce your desired result and repeat actions which give you the result you seek.  This is the foundation of excellence.

I have been making a case that failure is impossible and the universe will not allow you to fail.  However, it is possible to have a lifelong dream and still fall short of your expectations?  Unfortunately, the answer is yes.  I have to be honest about cases such as these.  Competition is an example of this.  The Van Cliburn International piano competition, the Olympics and the World Series in baseball are examples of competition where there will be a winner.  One was just a little bit better than the other.  If it was ever your dream to win one of these types of competitions, how do you resolve falling short on this dream?  I would say if you did not win such a competition, you did not fail.  Just to be in such competitions already represents the best of the best.  In this case, you have not failed even if you did not win the competition.  In order to compete on the Olympic stage or any world class competition requires that you give your best effort and work relentlessly to improve upon that.  It is a commitment you must make to yourself.  Giving your best has to be a promise you make to yourself every day.  As long as you keep this promise to yourself, you will experience excellence in your life and you will not fail in your dreams because this process always makes “your best” better.  In life we are not always going to rank number one because such scoring and evaluation is based on the judgment by others of the quality of your work.  However, let the standard by which you measure success or failure be the degree to which you have satisfied your promise to yourself to give your very BEST.

Say "YES" to Your Dreams

Michael W. Jackson

November 18, 2017

I have a couple of friends who have shared with me some things they would like to have or accomplish in their lives.  More recently I have learned they either have given up on their dreams or changed their minds to something that would have an easier pathway.  I respect that because I would want them to have what they feel will work best in their lives.  Nevertheless, I would encourage them to say “yes” and go for the things they really want.

I was watching some motivational videos on YouTube the other day and I saw one speaker say that it is easier to become great now because the vast majority of people are content to be within their comfort zones.  Rare is the individual that dares to be great.  Who are these people?  Federer, Newton, Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Jordan and Srinivasa Namanujan are a few names that come to mind.  Now you may think that these individuals represent a level of genius and greatness I could never attain.  Sadly, you would be correct but not because you do not have the potential.  You would be correct because this is the way you think.  If you think you cannot or you are not good enough, you are correct because you believe this and consequently will not take action that would move you in a more positive direction.  You will be okay though, like everyone else who is content with following the rest of the herd.  Life is “good” until something comes along and rattles your cage.  Now you feel like a victim of circumstances that are beyond your control.  You feel helpless to be able to change anything so you further seek the comfort of those just like yourself.  It becomes a self-perpetuating cycle.  Misery loves company.  People in this group become complainers as if this would solve their problems.  Sorry to say, but being here is choice you make when you choose not to be your BEST and go for your dreams.

Now let’s consider the alternative, when you say “yes” to your dreams.  What is going to happen?  In the short term probably not much or at least it may feel like nothing is happening.  This is where it can become discouraging because progress is slow relative to the size and timeframe of your dream.  Most people give up at this stage.  This is why greatness is so rare.  It is necessary to dig deep within yourself and push forward even if it feels like you have nothing left and you are not gaining anything.  You have to discipline yourself to continue the process.  There is no substitute for hard work.  Small dreams do not require much effort from you but big dreams demand that you bring the BEST in you to bear.

I believe a few of us want to say “yes” to the big dreams of our lives.  The question is how do we integrate this big dream in “ordinary” life?  The accomplishment of big dreams requires hard work and whatever time is necessary.  Everyone’s life is different and how to make this work will differ from person to person.  Nevertheless, the commitment of time and hard work will always be true.  The more time you can dedicate to working on your dreams the faster you will attain them.  If you have other obligations in your life as many of us do, then your time will have to be managed appropriately so that you can meet your obligations and still have some special time to work on your dreams.

It is possible to create big dreams even as part of your routine life.  Think of it this way, greatness is achieved when ordinary people do extraordinary things.  There is greatness within each and every one of us but this does not manifest until we do something extraordinary.  Greatness requires action.  It is the fruit culminating concentrated effort over time.  This means any person who applies this can be great at something.  Your greatness is determined by the accomplishment of your dream.  You do not need fame or notoriety in pursuing your dream.  It is not for the recognition of others; it is for validating that you are truly as good, amazing, intelligent or gifted as you can imagine yourself to be.

Here are some action steps that can help you on your pathway to greatness and manifesting your dreams.  Journal your dream.  Get a notebook and write down your big dream and the present date you have to decided to write down your dream. Whenever you need to document something in your journal, write down the date so it will be easier for you to monitor your progress.   Research.  Find out what is necessary to achieve your dream and write down all this information in your journal.  Do you need special training or more education?  Journal all the details.  Here is a very crucial step.  Set goals.  The accomplishment of any big dream requires steps to get you there.  A goal is the target for the action you  need to take.  It is the target for your hard work and effort.  You can assign goals with different timeframes: annual, monthly, etc.  I believe the most powerful goals you can have are daily goals.  The power with daily goals is that the action required to meet these goals is immediate and has no delay.  If you do not take action on this goal today, you will not meet this goal.  If your dream is truly important to you, you will not hesitate on taking action.  Here is an added benefit.  If you are willing to allocate a little time of your day to do your daily dream related goals, each day of your life you will be getting a little closer to your dream while still meeting the obligations of your “regular” routine.  Repeat the process of daily goals.  Repeat the process of making daily goals and accomplishing them.  If you repeat this process enough times, it will become a habit so that working on your daily goals will be more effortless, almost like the regular routine of your life.  On a daily basis the changes you are making in your life may seem imperceptible but extrapolated over time, the transformation in you will be significant.  In fact, you will not be the same person as when you first formulated your dream and started your path.

I encourage you to take a chance on yourself and say “yes” to your dreams.  The time to decide is now because there is not an unlimited amount of time and you deserve the best that will be forthcoming when you accomplish your dream.  You must concede the fact that it is not going to be easy; it will time and hard work but with courage and persistence, you will see it through.

The Divine Factor

Michael W. Jackson

July 3, 2017

Is God really necessary if you want to be successful in life?  For me, the answer is definitely yes.  The answer is yes because I can go forward in life knowing the Man upstairs has got my back and I can live my life knowing the universe is working on my behalf.  Imagine just for a moment that every circumstance you face in life is designed to make you a better person, not to make you suffer.  I wish I had the wisdom to address this for anyone who has faced suffering or endured severe tragedies in their lives.  I do not know why “bad” things happen sometimes.  I am no one to question God.  What I do know is that God’s master plan has no errors.

So at first glance it seems like God will solve all our problems.  After all He is all powerful and creator of the universe.  If God can create the universe, certainly He can fix my “small” problem.  Unfortunately, it is not that simple.  God is not the cure all like a genie that grants your wishes.  If you want to change your life or have big dreams and goals, it is going to take YOU to make it happen.  The bigger your dream, the more of your blood, sweat and tears that will be required to realize your dream.

Often when successful people are asked key factors essential for success, you hear qualities like self-discipline, hard work, having a dream and persistence.  All these factors are important but I would include one more among the others: The Divine factor or God.  Jesus said, “I am the alpha and the omega.”  For me, all things begin and end with God.  He is the SOURCE.  Recently, I watched the 2017 BET Awards show.  So many of the award recipients gave thanks to God in their acceptance speeches.  I believe this is what it is all about.  God gives us so much that we just take for granted.  God gives you your life without you asking for His assistance.  If you want more, you can have more.  Include the Divine factor in your recipe for success and YOU can unlock your full potential as a human being.

Partnering With God

Michael W. Jackson

May 30, 2017

Steps In Creating Your Partnership

Acknowledge GOD as SOURCE.  God is the source of everything you need.  Relinquish the ego.  Whatever you think you can do, God can do better so why not team up with the BEST?

DO YOU!  Be yourself and express what gives you joy in life.  Be a dancer, a teacher, a rapper, a parent, an executive or a scientist.  God partnerships have no labels.

Ask for guidance.  You can ask God for assistance on any matter you can think of: a business deal, an important exam or a stressful situation.  God is omnipotent and omniscient.  God’s capacity to bless humanity is unlimited.

Take Action.  Take action in the direction you need to move.  Call someone you need to talk to.  Apologize if you hurt someone.  Ask that special person for a date.  Let LOVE be your intention in all that you do and the power of God will work through you.

Have FAITH.  Do what you can do to the BEST of your ability.  Have FAITH and know that God is always on your side.  He is the Master.  Do your best and God will take care of the rest.

Gratitude.  Be grateful not only for the end result of your accomplishment but also for the process that takes you there, for the journey develops you into a better person.

Your partnership with God makes virtually anything you can dream of possible.  You & God Inc.  Co-creator and Creator, you become the instrument by which God demonstrates the masterpiece of the universe.

Creating Your Dreams

Michael W. Jackson

April 13, 2017

What is it that you want to have, be or do in your life?  If you are where you want to be, congratulations but for many this is not the case.  In fact, you may be far from where you would like to be.  Perhaps you may desire to be an actor or actress but presently work in a local restaurant to support yourself with the basic necessities.  Do not despair.  If you are persistent, you will realize your dream but I would like to offer you another insight.  In whatever you are doing right now, choose to be excellent.  If you flip hamburgers, choose to be excellent at it.  If you wash windows, cut grass or are a server in a restaurant, choose to be excellent at it.  It is true that what you are doing now may have nothing to do with your future aspirations but choosing to be excellent in what you are doing presently is not wasted energy.  When you choose to be excellent, you engage your mind in making choices that bring forth better results.  This process repeated again makes you a better person in terms of your own self-development and in the eyes of others.  For most, this will not be a big deal but when you care enough to give only the best, it shows even if it seems no one is noticing.  Some need the self-gratification of having others see their good work.  More often than not it will seem like your best efforts create no acknowledgement and is not advancing you toward your dreams.  What to do now?  I challenge you to raise the bar on yourself even higher.  Why?  Because demanding an even higher standard of excellence from yourself when no one else is looking or cares, builds character, plants the seeds of greatness and gives you self-worth that does not require validation from anyone else.  Furthermore, the universe is kind.  The universe wants you to be happy and it wants you to succeed and have your dreams expressed.  The universe is always working on your behalf to create the dreams of your heart even if it seems like nothing is happening.  When you know with certainty the universe is giving you the best, you can go forth without fear because the universe can only give you its best when you, through your commitment to excellence, are giving it your best.

Bless Your Way to Success

Michael W. Jackson

March 5, 2017

And God said, “Let there be light” and there was light.  As an amateur astronomer I would say, God said, “Let there be light” and there was the Big Bang, a tremendous burst of energy that created the universe.  Each and every one of us as human beings have this same creative power on a smaller scale.  You also create in the physical universe with the power of your spoken words.  Can you image the universe responding to you according to your spoken word?  What would you say, if you thought the universe would manifest in physical form according to the words you are speaking?  Fortunately the manifestation is not instantaneous because I am sure many of us would choose our words more carefully.  Nevertheless, we all have this power but it is probably often used in a negative way.  We self-sabotage ourselves with negative expressions of our beliefs about ourselves.  I am not good enough.  I am not smart enough.  I am not this or I am not that.  Take a moment to think about what you are.  You are a human being that is so unique in the creative universe, there will never be a copy exactly like you for all eternity.  YOU are special and your place in the universe has a purpose.  Your existence is not an accident.  Your purpose is to express yourself fully according to your dreams.  What is your dream?  Speak your dream over your life again and again.  When you speak positively of yourself and your dreams, you are blessing yourself with the very thing you are speaking of.  Bless yourself with your new home or your new car.  Bless yourself with the career you want.  Bless yourself not only with things but bless yourself so your spirit knows that you are capable of creating anything.  It is important to keep this process ongoing.  Continue to bless yourself and speak goodness over your life.  You must so infuse your mind with blessings of all things good, you cannot be “brainwashed” into thinking any other way.  You create your destiny and thereby bless your way to success.

Small Successes Count Too

Michael W. Jackson

December 29, 2016

How would you measure success?  Success of course means different things to different people.  For some, success means material things.  For others it could be receiving acknowledgement from one’s peers for tremendous accomplishment.  I believe all of us would love to experience the feeling of joy that success brings.  However, I think there is a tendency to associate success with big rewards.  Actually success comes in all sizes and it is whatever you choose it to be.  This morning I washed my car.  At first glance you might think, “okay you washed your, what is the big deal?”  The big deal is that it was my goal to wash my car this morning and I did indeed accomplish this goal, so in this respect I have been successful.  It does not have to be a big deal to anyone else but me.  I make it a big deal to me because this was my goal which I can feel good about.  I would say most of us want to improve the quality of our lives, yet I feel where we defeat ourselves is when we start to look at even our small accomplishments as merely mundane activities.  It is a big deal because you did it.  Start anew and begin to embrace even your small accomplishments and successes in life.  Feel good about yourself because you had a concept in mind and achieved the desired outcome.  As you master the “small stuff,” you will gain confidence to take on more challenging tasks.  When you take on a difficult task, it may not work for the first few times.  Do not feel discouraged.  Remember success even with easier things still makes you successful.  The important thing is to maintain your self-belief that you are a success and with a little more effort and practice, you will have the bigger successes in life also.